Last month Westpac’s Senior Health Sector Manager Chris Barton met with 15 Practice Managers from within the ProCare network to discuss debtor management and ways to utilise their banking services to achieve the best outcomes for their practices.

The general consensus at the meeting was that debt collection is difficult for many practices due to the lack of recourse options available.

Part payment and payment plans were seen as the most common method of collecting debtors. However, there are major challenges in overcoming patient behaviours/attitudes towards payment, combined with ethical considerations and each GP’s individual moral or social position

“It was agreed that active management from all staff who deal with patients was a key success factor for debt collection,” says Chris. “But if it does get on top of the practice, it is a good idea to phone your bank who can offer alternative solutions. The key is to offer as many payment channels as possible for your patients to increase the chance of getting paid.”

As well as debtor control, Chris looked at ways of maximising day-to-day banking transactions including payment options, EFTPOS facilities and internet banking. Chris says most Practice Managers are using online banking but a number are not utilising the service to its maximum potential, which if used correctly, will definitely save management time.

“Many banking products can be fairly standard, but we offer services that are especially tailored for General Practice with an experienced team that have worked in the health care industry for many years,” says Chris.

Senior Manager GP Services Catherine Abel-Pattinson said the course was useful for those who attended. “Many Practice Managers don’t have the opportunity to raise issues and share ideas with others, and many banks do not fully understand General Practice’s banking needs,” says Catherine. “Chris helped open discussion points and provided information which will improve ProCare’s General Practice banking systems.”

If you are interested in finding out more about better debtor management of your practice please contact Chris Barton on (09) 367 3626 or chris_barton@westpac.co.nz